“The growth of the Latino electorate is not subject to any future decisions on immigration policy,” writes Roberto Suro, the institute’s director, in a new report that maps change state-by-state. “Rather, steady increases in the number of Latino eligible voters will occur as Latinos already born in the United States as citizens with full voting rights reach voting age.”

In an interview, as analysts across the country digested the results of President Obama’s victory and the role of Latinos, Suro looked ahead to the patterns being set.

“This is all about the future,” Suro said. “There are 9-year-olds, 10-year-olds, 13-year-olds and 15 year-olds and every day they get closer to voting.”

Suro was the founding director of the Pew Hispanic Center in D.C., before his move to the West Coast.

As we reported in August, Texas public schools tipped majority-Latino last year, according to the Texas Education Agency. Suro’s new report, though, gives a sharper view of just what percentage are U.S. citizens, for those in the game of voting or strategizing about political campaigns.